Sunday, February 14, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR. . . .CHINESE

* Year of the Tiger: A Fortune Forecast by Vera H-C Chan

41 hours ago 565 Votes

Year of the Tiger may fall on Valentine's Day, but don't expect a lovefest.

In the U.S., an alignment of Eastern and Western calendars has made for a packed three-day weekend. Both Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day may call for a dual celebration in shades of red and pink, but searchers on the prowl for "chinese new year predictions" on Yahoo! have been finding that the coming year may not provide the best mood for hookups—at least, depending on which prognosticator you listen to.

It's not all bad: Under a tiger reign, a reversal of financial fortunes could come to a lot of businesses that have taken a pounding during the recession. Take a spin on the wheel and see what may be in store...

Animal Instincts Similar in concept to the Western zodiac's 12 signs, 12 animals define the Chinese astrology chart. Not all the critters get along (no surprise), and some will undergo setbacks under a tiger reign—even those born under the tiger sign themselves. Monkeys and tigers (who are opposite on the astrology chart) are both advised against attending funerals and weddings.

Who'll get a pass from the feline? People born in the year of the pig, snake, rooster and goat. search Check out the other animals in the Chinese zodiac.

Love Disconnections Nuptials aren't a good idea in the upcoming days, at least not in Beijing. Thanks to a disconnect between solar and lunar calendars, the Year of the Tiger apparently doesn't have a spring: No spring makes this a "widow year," which portends infertility—and explains the last-minute rush of newlyweds in China before the New Year kicked in.

Not all forecasters are in agreement: A Brunei article claims the marital waters are fine, and babes born this year will be luckier than the rest of the pack. Another master is calling this an "awakening year" and a good time to start new ventures, from weddings to renovations. The takeaway? All we can say is, if you're going to commit, you better feel pretty darn sure about it. search What is a lunar calendar?

Accident Prone Complicated Chinese astrology isn't just about animals—there are also natural elements that come more into play. This time, the key elements are metal, wood, thunder, and fire, which can portend international conflicts. Time to check your automobile and home-insurance plans: When the tiger prowls, traffic accidents go up. One Canadian soothsayer predicts natural disasters in the South Pacific and California, the latter in mid-2010.

On the upside, cooperation will emerge, and people will try to take on bullies and help each other out. If you have a tiger at your tail, it's time to team up. search Explore the five elements in Chinese astrology.

Money boost Ben Bernanke and other financial prognosticators already said last year that the recession is over. Adding to those voices are fortunetellers who say "optimism and a speculative mentality" will boost the stock market a bit. Looking to invest? In reading the delicate and ever-shifting balance among the five elements that comprise the universe, a Metal Tiger Year should result in a pickup in businesses involved in energy, construction, steel, banking, machinery, high tech, and cars.

Under Tiger Attack? Strained times are ahead for the U.S. president: Barack Obama is an ox man, and the Year of the Ox coincided with his freshman year. One prediction calls for him to "shine with flying colors," while another sees "a bloody hard time"—but if he survives a trial by tiger, his remaining term will be a breeze.

His days, though, won't be as bad as those for monkey men like U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Toyota president Akio Toyoda... and as recent recalls show, Toyoda's bad luck has already started.

Given his recent travails, the question is inevitable: What does the Year of the Tiger have in store for Tiger Woods? Things are looking a bit grim for Woods (born in the Year of the Rabbit, by the way). One soothsayer declares his "long-term fortune is on the decline." Maybe now's a good time for a Tiger to lie low. search Where's that Tiger?

9 comments:

I don't believe in astrology but I read my stars anyway cos I wanna see what I don't believe in.

I suppose one needs to ask oneself the question: does one enjoy Christmas as much now that one doesn't believe in Santa? And of course the answer is no. Hehe. So what's the solution? Enjoy life more by believing superstition, or enjoy it less by not?

I'll leave that one to J cos he's a lawyer who understands these things better than I.

Alright, Gary, you asked for it. I just finished a brilliant examination of our institutionalized superstition, religion, and its effects, by a fellow named Sam Harris,which is entitled "The End of Faith". It's an absolutely devastating recital of the foolishness of our religious beliefs. As far as I'm concerned, you can heap the superstitions of the Monkey, Rat, Snake, Tiger and whatever else years into the stew, although I don't think this jocular oriental animism creates anywhere near the misery of its more pretentious institutionalized cousins. After all, I've never heard of a suicide bomber strapping on his nitro belt in homage to anything further down the food chain. The Chinese treat these matters as we should treat our holy traditions: a good excuse for having a party. (Hey, that sounds like the Episcopalians!) But I do love the Chinese, and about a quarter of my house is furnished with Chinese and Tibetan furniture and bronzes. One of my favorites is a Shang bronze vessel protraying a man with his head in the mouth of a tiger. He is embracing it, as if welcoming either his imminent death or salvation. Isn't that how we all live?

In general I stay away some what from discussion / speculations about "religious matters." Once, in a group I occasioned now and then early on, I expressed my faith opinion on a matter and I was rewarded with two older gents ready to set this young'un straight on the horrors of religion and beliefs, etc. They wouldn't take "NO..Get lost" for a word.They were determined. . .so I suspected they'd really like to convert/pervert me and get their hands in my teenage pants. . . AND NO, I've never been molested by s priest or minister.

In this group I do not fear anything like this. I find your views interesting. . .and I like the freedom of expression I find from all y'all. We all have an ethics system which we have adopted and/or adapted.

I look at fortune cookies and horoscopes as amusing and fun. .

I still find Christmas fun and filled with meaning even since I found out who Santa really is. . as I grow so do my beliefs. The changes as I grow only add to the aura and wonder of Special Days and Events. That way I never settle into a boring life. . unfolding mystery enhances life.like the wonder of Christmas morning when I was a little kid. The wonder is still here and it grows. . .

Whatever you believe, deep down, is what will come into your life. So, if you believe this or horoscopes, or anything of the sort, than that is what will come to pass. Simply because you are looking for it. We all have good and bad things in our lives. They are however, not good or bad until we judge them as so. I have found that any of these beliefs are vague enough that you can pretty much come up with proof of just about anything. Take Nostidomis' predictions. Accoring to followers of his word, we should stop worrying about tomarrow, cause it aint comin'.

It is fun to read these things and see just what does come true. Even if it is just perceived.

Yes, of course, you must be totally correct. . .I stand disabused. Assuredly you can assess my perceptions far better than I can. . given as these are clouded by my personal perceptual field, which is uniquely mine. Gets in the way, doncha know. ;-)*>>>

And thereby hangs a dilemma. We live in a tolerant society that allows individuals to believe whatever they wanna believe. So, for example, if Justin believes that I'm wrong, and would like to enlighten me, should he? Or should he desist and be content to agree to disagree. Hehe.

Like I said, it's a dilemma. Basically, a tolerant society says that it's okay to be wrong. We can't all be right.

About Me

23 yo,5'10, 155, brn hair, drk brn eyes. Nordic skier,swim,run,bike,soccer, sex,party. Aug 2011 Beginning PhD program at university near Boston,psych major, completed Masters, now to PhD. Hope to work as psycho-therapist,serving esp gay community helping teens and olders deal with being gay in too-often un-nurturing hostile society.
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